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Fairbanks, Alaska Wiki
Welcome to the This wiki is about Fairbanks, Alaska, the second largest city in Alaska and the largest city located in The Interior of Alaska Fairbanks is located in the central Tanana Valley, straddling the Chena River near its confluence with the Tanana River. Immediately north of the city is a chain of hills that rises gradually until it reaches the White Mountains and the Yukon River. The southern border of the city is the Tanana River. South of the river is the Tanana Flats, an area of marsh and bog that stretches for more than 100 miles (160 km) until it rises into the Alaska Range, which is visible from Fairbanks on clear days. To the east and west are low valleys separated by ridges of hills up to 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea level. The Tanana Valley is crossed by many low streams and rivers that flow into the Tanana River. In Fairbanks, the Chena River flows southwest until it empties into the Tanana.9 Noyes Slough, which heads and foots off the Chena River, creates Garden Island, a district connected to the rest of Fairbanks by bridges and culverted roads. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 32.7 square miles (85 km2); 31.9 square miles (83 km2) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2) of it (2.48%) is water. Fairbanks’ climate is usually classified as subarctic (Köppen Dfc), with long, cold winters, and short, warm summers, in which much of the annual precipitation falls. In Fairbanks, winter lasts from late September/early October until late April/early May. October through January are the snowiest, and snow is limited from February to May. On average, the season's first snow falls in Fairbanks on September 21 and the first inch of snow accumulates by October 8. The snowpack is established by October 18, on average, and remains until May. Snow occasionally arrives early and in large amounts. On September 13, 1992, 8 inches (20 cm) of snow fell in the city, bending trees still laden with fall leaves. That September also was one of the snowiest on record, as 24 inches (61 cm) fell, compared to an average of 2.2 inches in the month. Average winter low temperatures range from −15 °F (−26 °C) to −25 °F (−32 °C), but extremes can range from 50 °F (10 °C) to −60 °F (−51 °C).16 In summer, temperatures typically range between 70 °F (21 °C) and 50 °F (10 °C); Fairbanks did not record a 90 °F (32 °C) temperature between 1994 and 2009. The highest recorded temperature in Fairbanks was 96 °F (36 °C), while the lowest was −62 °F (−52 °C). The warmest year in Fairbanks was 1981, when the average annual temperature was 32.0 °F (0.0 °C). The coldest year was 1956, whose average annual temperature was 21.3 °F (−5.9 °C). Record low temperatures below 0 °F (−17.8 °C) have been recorded in every month except June, July, August, and September. These widely varying temperature extremes are due to three main factors: temperature inversions, daylight, and wind direction. In winter, Fairbanks’ low-lying location at the bottom of the Tanana Valley causes cold air to accumulate in and around the city. Warmer air rises to the tops of the hills north of Fairbanks, while the city itself experiences one of the biggest temperature inversions on Earth. Heating through sunlight is limited because of Fairbanks's high-latitude location. At the winter solstice, Fairbanks experiences 3 hours and 43 minutes of sunlight. At the summer solstice, Fairbanks receives 21 hours and 49 minutes of direct sunlight; after sunset, twilight is bright enough to allow daytime activities.18 During winter, the direction of the wind also causes large temperature swings in Fairbanks. When the wind blows from any direction but the south, average weather ensues. Wind from the south can carry warm, moist air from the Gulf of Alaska, greatly warming temperatures. When coupled with a chinook wind, temperatures well above freezing often result. In addition to the chinook wind, Fairbanks experiences a handful of other unusual meteorological conditions. In summer, dense wildfire smoke accumulates in the Tanana Valley, affecting the weather and causing health concerns. When temperature inversions arise in winter, heavy ice fog often results. Ice fog occurs when air is too cold to absorb additional moisture, such as that released by automobile engines or human breath. Instead of dissipating, the water freezes into microscopic crystals that are suspended in the air, forming fog. Fairbanks’ most notable unusual meteorological occurrence is the prevalence of the aurora borealis, commonly called the northern lights, which are visible on average more than 200 days per year in the vicinity of Fairbanks. Since 1949 Fairbanks's average winter temperature has risen by 7.7 °F (4.3 °C), average spring temperature by 3.8 °F (2.1 °C), and its average summer temperature by 2.3 °F (1.3 °C).27 During the same period, Fairbanks' average autumn temperature has fallen by 0.4 °F (0.2 °C). If only the years 1977–2008 are considered, Fairbanks’ average annual temperature has dropped by 1.3 °F (0.7 °C). 'Demographics' As of the census34 of 2000, there were 30,224 people, 11,075 households, and 7,187 families residing in the city. The population density was 948.7 people per square mile (366.3/km²). There were 12,357 housing units at an average density of 387.9 per square mile (149.8/km²). The “racial”needed makeup of the city was 69.67% White, 13.10% Black or African-American, 9.91% Native American, 2.72% Asian, 0.54% Pacific Islander, 2.45% from other “races”, and 6.57% from two or more “races”needed. 6.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any “race”. Of the 11,075 households, 39.9% had children under the age of 18, 47.2% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.15. Median age of the population was 28 years, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 14.7% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,577, and the median income for a family was $46,785. Males had a median income of $30,539 versus $26,577 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,814. About 7.4% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over. 'Media' Fairbanks' largest newspaper is the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, which also includes a weekly entertainment guide, Latitude 65. A few other periodicals also serve Fairbanks and the Fairbanks North Star Borough: The Ester Republic and the University of Alaska Fairbanks student newspaper, the Sun Star. Fairbanks is also served by television and radio. Leading radio stations include AM Stations KFAR 660 talk radio, KCBF 820 ESPN Radio Network, KFBX 970 talk radio and KJNP 1170 religious radio. FM stations include 88.5 popular Christian, KUAC 89.9 National Public Radio, KSUA 91.5 University of Alaska, Fairbanks, KDJF ("CHET FM") 93.5 everything country KXLR 95.9 classic rock KYSC 96.9 soft rock, KWLF 98.1-"Wolf 98.1", top 40, KJNP-FM 100.3 religious radio, KAKQ-FM 101.1-"Magic 101.1" pop music, KIAK-FM 102.5 country music, KTDZ 103.9-"K-TED" adult hits, and KKED 104.7 rock music. Fairbanks' major television affiliates are KATN (ABC)-(KYUR retransmission), KFXF (Fox), KUAC-TV (PBS)-"AlaskaONE" with some KMXT-LP-only programming, KTVF (NBC), K13XD (CBS), and UHF station KDMD-LP-(Ion)-Fairbanks. Cable TV is available from GCI and Denali Television. 'Sports' The Carlson Center is home to University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks men's ice hockey and the Fairbanks Grizzlies, a professional arena football team in the Indoor Football League and the Fairbanks Rollergirls roller derby league. The Fairbanks Ice Dogs, a junior hockey team in the North American Hockey League, 800px-Growden Park Fairbanks Alaska play at the Big Dipper Ice Arena. The Alaska Goldpanners and the Fairbanks AIA Fire are summer collegiate baseball teams, playing home games at Growden Memorial Park. The park is home to the annual Midnight Sun game, an annual tradition since 1906, played without artificial lights starting after ten at night on the summer solstice. Also, Fairbanks is a hub for cross-country skiing in Alaska. It has hosted many different big ski events including the 2003 Junior Olympic Cross Country Ski Championship and the 2008 and 2009 U.S. Cross Country Distance Nationals 35 It also has an annual 50k race called the Sonot Kkaazoot and the Fairbanks Town Series races which consists of four different races and the Chest Medicine Distance Series races which consists of only 3 races. Fairbanks is also home to the Yukon Quest, an international 1,000 mile sled dog race that is considered one of the toughest in the world. The race alternates its starting and finishing points each year between Fairbanks, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon. The Fairbanks Ice Dogs, a junior hockey team in the North American Hockey League, play at the Big Dipper Ice Arena. The Alaska Goldpanners and the Fairbanks AIA Fire are summer collegiate baseball teams, playing home games at Growden Memorial Park. The park is home to the annual Midnight Sun game, an annual tradition since 1906, played without artificial lights starting after ten at night on the summer solstice. Also, Fairbanks is a hub for cross-country skiing in Alaska. It has hosted many different big ski events including the 2003 Junior Olympic Cross Country Ski Championship and the 2008 and 2009 U.S. Cross Country Distance Nationals 35 It also has an annual 50k race called the Sonot Kkaazoot and the Fairbanks Town Series races which consists of four different races and the Chest Medicine Distance Series races which consists of only 3 races. Fairbanks is also home to the Yukon Quest, an international 1,000 mile sled dog race that is considered one of the toughest in the world. The race alternates its starting and finishing points each year between Fairbanks, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon. As the transportation hub for Interior Alaska, Fairbanks features extensive road, rail, and air connections to the rest of Alaska and Outside. At Fairbanks' founding, the only way to reach the new city was via steamboat on the Chena River.[ In 1904, money intended to improve the Valdez-Eagle Trail was diverted to build a branch trail, giving Fairbanks its first overland connection to the outside world. The resulting Richardson Highway was created in 1910 after Gen. Wilds P. Richardson upgraded it to a wagon road. In the 1920s, it was improved further and made navigable by automobiles, but it was not paved until 1957. Fairbanks' road connections were improved in 1927, when the 161-mile (259 km) Steese Highway connected the city to the Yukon River at the gold-mining community of Circle. In 1942, the Alaska Highway connected the Richardson Highway to the Canadian road system, allowing road travel from the rest of the United States to Fairbanks, which is considered the unofficial end of the highway. Because of World War II, civilian traffic was not permitted on the highway until 1948. Airport Way (shown at top, eastbound, and above, westbound, from the pedestrian crossing next to Lathrop High School), is the main east-west thoroughfare in Fairbanks. Constructed starting in 1970, it links the main gate of Fort Wainwright with the main terminal of Fairbanks International Airport. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a series of roads were built to connect Fairbanks to the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay. The Elliott Highway was built in 1957 to connect Fairbanks to Livengood, southern terminus of the Dalton Highway, which ends in Deadhorse on the North Slope.52 West of the Dalton intersection, the Elliott Highway extends to Manley Hot Springs on the Tanana River. To improve logistics in Fairbanks during construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the George Parks Highway was built between Fairbanks and Anchorage in 1971. Until 1940, none of Fairbanks' surface streets were paved.54 The outbreak of World War II interrupted plans to pave most of the city's roads, and a movement toward large-scale paving did not begin until 1953, when the city paved 30 blocks of streets. During the late 1950s and the 1960s, the remainder of the city's streets were converted from gravel roads to asphalt surfaces. Few have been repaved since that time; a 2008 survey of city streets indicated the average age of a street in Fairbanks was 31 years. Public transportation has been provided by the Metropolitan Area Commuter System, an agency of the borough government, since 1977. Bus service links much of the urban Fairbanks area, with most routes connecting at the downtown transit center. University Bus Lines, a private company, existed for several decades before MACS started. The company, which was owned first by Paul Greimann and later by Walt Conant, mainly linked downtown Fairbanks with the university campus and the military bases. Commercial airlines connect Fairbanks to the rest of Alaska as well as the lower 48 and select international destinations via Fairbanks International Airport. * Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge * El Dorado Gold Mine * Fairbanks Curling Club * Georgeson Botanical Garden * Gold Dredge No. 8 * Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station * Pioneer Park * Riverboat Discovery * Sternwheeler Tanana Chief * Tanana Valley State Fair * University of Alaska Museum of the North * July's Golden Days Parade * The IceAlaska Ice Art Championships and Ice Park * Birch Hill Recreation Area * The Midnight Sun Game (June 21) * Aix-les-Bains, France * Erdenet, Mongolia * Fanano, Italy * Mo i Rana, Norway * Monbetsu, Japan (dormant) * Tainan City, Taiwan * Pune, India * Yakutsk, Russia * Richland, Washington State, United States of America * Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada __NOEDITSECTION__ Category:Browse Category:City